Don't miss it!!!

It was three years ago when church congregations from the Diocese of Worcester descended on the Three Counties Showground one summer Sunday for an event we called "BigLittle Church". Well, now we're going to do it again. On Sunday 29th August, the weekend of the August Bank Holiday, we're inviting you to cancel your normal Sunday morning worship and to come and join us at the showground and be part of something big.
Anyone can come; you can come as individuals, as families or as entire congregations. We'll get together a choir to lead our worship and there will be a range of activities through the morning. You can bring a picnic and make it a day out. As the name indicates, the aim of BigLittle Church is to let those of us who often worship in small congregations be part of something much larger, something that reminds us that the church to which we belong is a great multitude. And we can do it at the showground, not as guests at some bigger church than our own but as joint hosts along with everyone else.
We've chosen quite deliberately a Sunday when congregations often struggle with numbers and when many clergy may be taking a well-earned break. We hope for some parishes it will help ease the complexity of summer holiday worship arrangements. We know that many United Benefices already use the fifth Sunday of the month as a day to do something together. We invite you on this occasion to think even wider and join with others from across the diocese.
I don't want to suggest that "big is beautiful". It's really quite special that all across the diocese we sustain regular worshipping congregations in small communities, often reaching a level of Sunday attendance that is a much greater proportion of the local population than big churches achieve. We are able, if not always every Sunday or at the same time, to offer services in the places where people feel they belong, rather than requiring everyone to congregate in larger worship centres. I'm not suggesting that we abandon that aspiration - not least because I don't think that would work. But it is good to be reminded once in a while that the church of God is much larger than the visible congregation who gather week by week in any one place; and to be built up by our time together, so that we can better retain our confidence and our sense of belonging when we meet in our separate places.
Some come along!
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Pea Pickers

The pea pickers in this photo are from Bulgaria, Rumania and other central European countries.
They are housed in accomodation near Stratford and bussed to the site to pick peas. Paid on a piece work basis they are garuanteed at least the minimum wage. With practice the better pickers earn well above that and earn around £80 a day. Many of the pickers return year after year often bringing friends or relatives with them.

The jobs are available through the jobcentre in Evesham but locals don't apply.

 

Archdeacon's Announcment

Fred Trethewey, Archdeacon of Dudley is making the following announcemnt.
"I am delighted to be able to announce that the Bishop of Worcester has offered the appointment of Priest in Charge of the benefice of Teme Valley South to the Revd Robert Barlow, and the offer has formally been accepted. 
Robert is well known in the farming community in Worcestershire having been the diocesan officer for Agriculture and Rural Life since 2004. In addition to this role he has been exercising a pastoral ministry as an associate priest in the West Worcestershire Team Ministry which includes Martley and Clifton. 
Before coming to Worcester Robert was Rural Officer and Rector of several rural parishes in Peterborough diocese. 
Robert has three adult children who have all established their own homes. He and Helen are looking forward to moving into the benefice in due course. A date for the licensing has yet to be considered."

 I am delighted with the move. I've met a number of the people from Teme Valley South and I'm looking forward to working with them. I've set up a blog and as I move from being free range to roosting at Hanley Broadheath I'll keep it updated.

Here are a few photos to whet your appetite.

Why so unappealing?

On Saturday I went to a performance of Guys & Dolls @ the out door theatre @ Kilworth Hall Hotel. An excellent performance with a very good cast. It was a musical that I didn't know & I enjoyed it immensely.

It raised questions.The story is set in 1950s New York with a Mission going round the streets full of sinners - mostly gamblers- singing hymns and banging drums.The Mission was very earnest, condemnatory, unattractive & dull. The drinkers and the gamblers they were set among had much more fun!

By the end of the story the "sinners" - the gamblers- had changed. But so had the Mission - and a good thing too.

How is it that Mission & Church have managed to become so unappealing ?